Drive connection between a printing press and a fanfolding machine

ABSTRACT

A drive connection between a printing press and a fanfolding machine includes a gear connection in a shaft drive allowing advancement or retardation of one section of the shaft with respect to the other. The printing press directly drives the paper feeding portion of the fanfolding machine whereas the timing drive coupling is interposed between the printing press drive and the fold and feeding mechanisms of the fanfolding machine.

United States Patent Thomas Oct. 2, 1973 {54] DRIVE CONNECTION BETWEEN A3,563,104 2/1971 SChuSter 74/395 RI SS N A FANFOLDING 2,334,074 ll/l943Coy 74/675 X MACHINE [75] Inventor: Charles D. Thomas, Hamburg, NY.

[73] Assignee: F. M. Biggar, Jr., Hamburg, NY.

[22] Filed: Dec. 29, 1971 [2]] Appl. No.: 213,512

[52] [1.8. CI 270/20, 74/395, 74/675, 270/39, 270/61 F, 270/73, 270/79[51] Int. Cl B4lf 13/56 [58] Field of Search 270/1, 5, 6, 8, 20, 270/39,79, 61 F, 73; 74/395, 675

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,499,643 3/1970 Biggar, .Ir270/79 Primary Examinen-Robert W. Michel] Assistant Examiner-L. R.Oremland Att0rney-John P. Snyder et al.

57 ABSTRACT A drive connection between a printing press and a fanfoldingmachine includes a gear connection in a shaft drive allowing advancement0r retardation of one section of the shaft with respect to the other.The printing press directly drives the paper feeding portion of thefanfolding machine whereas the timing drive coupling is interposedbetween the printing press drive and the fold and feeding mechanisms ofthe fanfolding machine.

3 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures PAIENIEUUCT 2 191a SHEET 10F 2 FIG. 2

PAIENTED 2|973 SHEET 2 BF 2 DRIVE CONNECTION BETWEEN A PRINTING PRESSAND A FANFOLDING MACHINE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In prior U. 8. Pat.No. 3,499,643, a fanfolding machine is disclosed for accepting paperfrom a printing press and to fold this paper at predetermined spacedtransverse lines along the length of the web received from the printingpress. Because of the requirement for initial set up in any event and toallow for different lengths of fold, it was necessary to make provisionfor adjustment in the timing between the paper feed and the foldingapparatus. These adjustments being normally effected by conventionalmeans were time consuming and required that the folding machine as wellas the press be shut down during such timing operations.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention, adrive connection and power train arrangement between a printing pressand the fan folding machine incorporates a fixed drive between theprinting press and the paper feeding portion of the fanfolding machinewhereby irrespective of any variations of the speed of the printingpress, the fanfolding machine is always feeding paper at the proper ratewith respect thereto whereby neither too much tension is developedbetween the two machines nor does a loop between them develop. In orderto accommodate for the proper timing of the folding mecha nism withrespect to the paper received from the press, even while the press andfanfolding machine are operating, one shaft of the machine is in effectin two sections relatively movable rotationally with respect to eachother and adjustable coupling means joins these sections.

The adjustable coupling features irreversible worm drive connections andan electric motor to effect such drive, the electric motor being carriedby one shaft section and coupled through the worm drive or drivesthrough the other section. Suitable slip rings are utilized to carry thecurrent to the drive motor.-

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic viewillustrating the relevant portion of the drive interconnection;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view partly in section illustratingthe drivesection; and

FIG. 3 is a view similar .to FIG. 2 but taken at right angles thereto.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION With reference to FIG. 1,reference character in dicates a shaft coming from the printing pressand effecting the main drive to the fanfolding machine. This shaft 10 isoften assembled as a take off extending in the direction of the web feedfrom the press and therefore is coupled through a gear box 12 to changethe direction of drive to the perpendicularly extending take off shaft14. The shaft 14 is provided with a sprocket or pulley 16 which iscoupled to a similar member 18 on the intermediate shaft 20 through themedium of a chain or suitable link belt or the like 22. Thus, the shaft20 is driven in fixed speed relation with the shaft 10. The shaft 20 isprovided with a pulley or the like 24 coupled through the drive element26 to the pulley or the like 28 of the paper feed shaft 30 for thefanfolding machine. The shaft 30 has a feed roll 32 affixed thereto anda pinch roll 34 is associated therewith as is conventional. Again, thedrive between the shaft 10 and the shaft 30 or pinch roll 32 is fixedand is adjusted by the proper number of teeth or the like on the variouselements l6, 18, 24 and 28 so that the feed roll 32 feeds the paper tothe folding mechanism at the same rate as the paper issues from theprinting press.

The intermediate shaft 20 is provided with a further pulley or likemember 36 so as to drive, through the belt or the like 38, the pulley orthe like 40 on the oscillator shaft 42 of the fanfolding machine. Theshaft 42 carries the wheel 44 having the centric 46 thereon which islinked to the oscillator folding mechanism such as that of the aforesaidU. S. Pat. No. 3,499,643. The coupling means according to the presentinvention is illustrated in FIG. 1 generally by the reference character48 and will hereinafter be described in detail in conjunction with FIGS.2 and 3. It will be appreciated that all of the elements shown in FIG. 1starting from the gear box 12 will be located on the fanfolding machineand will form a part thereof.

In FIG. 2, a portion of the intermediate shaft 20 is shown and will beseen to be in effect in two sections, the section 50 which receives themember 40 (not shown in FIG. 2) but which is illustrated as including akeyway 52 for receiving such member in nonrotatable relation thereto.The other section of the intermediate shaft is indicated by thereference character 54 and as will hereinafter be described with greaterparticularity, these two sections are relatively rotatable with respectto each other. The section 50 is rigid with the hub 56 of a worm wheel58 whereas the section 54 has an assembly bolted thereto which includesthe counterweight 60 and, on the opposite side of the shaft therefrom,the driving motor 62. Thus, whereas the worm wheel 58 rotates with theshaft section 50, the motor 62 and counterweight 60 are fixed to androtate with the shaft section 54. The motor 62 is provided with anoutput shaft 62 which has a worm 64 fixed thereto and which engages witha worm wheel 66. The worm wheel 66 is fixed to a shaft 68 bushed orotherwise suitably journaled in a body portion 70 of the assembly boltedto the fixed shaft 64 and which carries the counterweight 60 and motor62.

As can be seen in FIG. 3, the other end of the shaft 58 carries a worm72 which is in mesh with the aforementioned worm wheel 58. Because ofthe irreversible nature of the drive connectionseffected by the worms 64and 72 and their corresponding worm wheels 56 and 58, it will beappreciated that for all practical purposes, forgetting the motor 62 forthe moment, the shaft sections 50 and 54 are rigidly coupled together.At the same time, the two worm-wormwheel connections effect a very highration of reduction between the motor shaft 62 and the shaft section 50.

The motor 62 is reversible and the shaft section 54 carries a slip ringassembly 74 wired to the motor 62 for establishing connections forrelative reverse rotations thereof and the brush block 76 which is fixedto the machine frame carries a number of brushes cooperating with theslip ring assembly 74 so that two finger depressible switches located onthe machine frame, one for one direction of rotation and the other forthe other direction of rotation, may simply be actuated by the operatorof the machine to effect any incremental rotation between the shaftsections 50 and 54 as may be necessary or desirable all while themachine is operating. Thus, extreme precise and accurate timing of theoscillator folding mechanism may be effected which is particularlyimportant for machines when folding computer paper having fixed crossperforations thereon at which the fold must be effected.

What is claimed is:

l. A drive connection for use between a printing press having an outputshaft driven in selected relation to the speed of paper issuing from thepress and a fanfolding machine having a paper drive roll and a rotarycrank member for effecting oscillation of the folding mechanism thereof,said drive connection comprising in combination:

means for driving said paper drive roll in fixed phase drive relation tosaid output shaft whereby the fanfolding machine handles the paper atthe same speed as does the printing press; and

timing means for driving said rotary crank member in selected phaserelation with respect to said output shaft and said paper drive roll,said timing means comprising first and second shaft sections and meansfor effecting relative rotation between said shaft sections while theprinting press and fanfolding machine are running, said means foreffecting relative rotation including an electrical motor mounted forrotation with one of said shaft sections and having a motor shaft, wormgear reduction means connecting said motor shaft with the other shaftsection, and slip ring means on said one shaft section for energizingsaid motor while the press and folding machine are running.

2. A drive connection as defined in claim 1 wherein said slip ring meansis effective to energize said motor for selective operation in eitherdirection of rotation.

3. A drive connection as defined in claim 2 wherein worm gear reductionmeans comprises a worm on said motor shaft, an intermediate shaft, aworm wheel on said intermediate shaft and meshing with said worm, asecond worm on said intermediate shaft, and a second worm wheel on saidother shaft section and meshing with said second worm.

1. A drive connection for use betWeen a printing press having an outputshaft driven in selected relation to the speed of paper issuing from thepress and a fanfolding machine having a paper drive roll and a rotarycrank member for effecting oscillation of the folding mechanism thereof,said drive connection comprising in combination: means for driving saidpaper drive roll in fixed phase drive relation to said output shaftwhereby the fanfolding machine handles the paper at the same speed asdoes the printing press; and timing means for driving said rotary crankmember in selected phase relation with respect to said output shaft andsaid paper drive roll, said timing means comprising first and secondshaft sections and means for effecting relative rotation between saidshaft sections while the printing press and fanfolding machine arerunning, said means for effecting relative rotation including anelectrical motor mounted for rotation with one of said shaft sectionsand having a motor shaft, worm gear reduction means connecting saidmotor shaft with the other shaft section, and slip ring means on saidone shaft section for energizing said motor while the press and foldingmachine are running.
 2. A drive connection as defined in claim 1 whereinsaid slip ring means is effective to energize said motor for selectiveoperation in either direction of rotation.
 3. A drive connection asdefined in claim 2 wherein worm gear reduction means comprises a worm onsaid motor shaft, an intermediate shaft, a worm wheel on saidintermediate shaft and meshing with said worm, a second worm on saidintermediate shaft, and a second worm wheel on said other shaft sectionand meshing with said second worm.